Mr Larmer admits there were many “dicey” moments during his time in the war, including night raids. “You couldn’t see the other aircraft until you got over the target, where they had the search lights. That was scary, because there were a couple of hundred aircraft in the air at the one time. You did see a few accidents, like two aircraft colliding which was a bit frightening. But you had something to do. You were concentrating on the job at hand and didn’t have time to worry about what was happening outside.”
This courageous attitude is a trademark of the diggers, who were young and inexperienced. “We were only boys. When we came home at the end of the war I was only 21.” His bravery was awarded in 2015 on the 70th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe, France awarded the French Legion of Honour to those surviving members of the Bomber Command. “We were told, ‘You helped liberate France, we’ll never forget you. Never.’ I thought that was a lovely gesture.” Mr Larmer also received an OAM in 2021 for general services to community. “For ten years I did prison visitation work at Pentridge. I visited various prisoners to see how I could help them. I think that counted a fair bit.” ANZAC Day is an opportunity for Mr Larmer to remember all of his mates and colleagues, especially his friend, Bob Young. “We started school and finished school together. We went into the airforce on the same day. He trained as a navigator, I trained as a pilot. We met again in England. He went to a Lancaster squadron, I went off to a Halifax. And his aircraft was shot down over Germany. The hardest thing I have ever done was go and see his mother when I came home. I think of those sort of people on ANZAC Day.” Invited as a guest of the Committee Room this ANZAC Day, Mr Larmer is humbled by the “lovely gesture”. “They have a ceremony during the meeting to pay their respects to us and to our fallen comrades.”
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